Mayor Bernard P. Carvalho, Jr. with County Executive on Transportation Celia Mahikoa, KCC Chancellor Helen Cox, and representatives from the Associated Students of the University of Hawai’i at Kauai Community College (ASUH-KCC). From L-R: ASUH-KCC President Dasha D’Acosta; Celia Mahikoa; Helen Cox; Mayor Carvalho; ASUH HR Manager Herbert Semana; and ASUH Secretary Moani Jaramillo.
By Staff Reports
(LĪHU’E)– Kaua’i Community College (KCC) students can now use their student identification cards as a bus pass to ride The Kaua’i Bus, thanks to an ongoing partnership between the college, the County Council and the County of Kaua’i Transportation Agency.
“This program is the direct result of the dedication of our KCC students, who have worked these past few years to see this initiative through and create a win-win for both the college and the county,” stated Mayor Bernard P. Carvalho, Jr. “Our young people are motivated to make environmentally-conscious decisions, and we want to encourage and support that effort as best we can.”
This endeavor is part of the mayor’s Holo Holo 2020 vision for Kaua’i, which calls for all organizations, businesses, residents and visitors on Kaua’i to be part of creating an island that is sustainable, values the native culture, has a thriving and healthy economy, cares for all – keiki to kupuna – and has a responsible and user-friendly local government.
Each student now pays a $20 fee in addition to the semester tuition. This fee allows all registered students to use their college ID to ride the bus throughout that semester. The bulk rate discount initiative received Council approval in October of 2012, and the current agreement between KCC and the County of Kaua’i runs from August 1, 2013 through May 31, 2015.
The extended discount program began with the “KCC Public Transit Pilot Project,” a successful 11-month pilot program that was launched in August of 2011. The program offered KCC students free bus rides during that school year in an effort to encourage students to ride The Kaua’i Bus and promote the many benefits of public transit. Data collected during the pilot program justified the creation of an agreement between the county’s Transportation Agency and the college, resulting in the bulk rate discount program.
“These initiatives are being undertaken as part of an overall goal to reduce traffic, individual transportation expenses, and the need for parking,” states Executive on Transportation Celia Mahikoa. “Our gratitude goes out to Kaua’i Community College for helping us to achieve these goals through their continued partnership. We hope their efforts will serve as an example to the rest of our community in encouraging public transit use.”
For more information on The Kaua’i Bus, please call 246-8110 or visit the website, www.kauai.gov/transportation. Printed bus schedules are available on all county buses and at The Kaua’i Bus office.